Editorial: Jr. Williams Fund benefits undergraduate students

Friday, September 4, 2009

The new Jr. Williams Fund is a practical, inexpensive way for interested students to earn rewards in the future for their current loyalty.

Starting this year, students taking at least six credit hours can enroll in the Jr. Williams Fund for $25. Enrollment in this fund grants them 10 preferred seating points per year, for up to 40 points over four years. In addition, Jr. Williams Fund members can receive 20 points by donating at least $100 within a year of graduation and 20 points for buying season tickets all four years of their enrollment.

This is a smart investment for students who know they’ll want to attend games as alumni.

Rewarding students for their current involvement, either by offering them points for season tickets or by granting them points at a discounted rate, makes sense for both students and Kansas Athletics. Students have the chance to gain a considerable head start in getting seats at Memorial Stadium or Allen Fieldhouse. It is possible to earn 80 points for about $800 dollars.

According to documentation on the Jr. Williams Fund Web site, 10 points is equivalent to a $1,000 donation, meaning students are receiving a very sizable discount. Even more, they are receiving points for things numerous students have paid for already, such as season tickets.

At the same time, Kansas Athletics has an opportunity to bring more alumni into their successful Williams Fund program. According to Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony, students will have the opportunity to learn about the fund during special Jr. Williams Fund only events, such as tailgates.

“We wanted to do something that would give them [students] a head start,” Marchiony said.

And having that head start, more alumni, who earned a sizable number of points as students, might be more willing to donate to the Williams Fund.

Kansas Athletics should be recognized for their continued fundraising prowess. They are offering students a valuable commodity and shrewdly building their donor base. At the same time, money can often be an invasive species in the ecosystem of college athletics.

Though the Jr. Williams Fund does not exclude students who choose not to be involved from the game day experience, Kansas Athletics should make an effort to ensure this stays the same.

The Jr. Williams Fund is a deserved reward for the diehard fan, however Kansas Athletics could also take this opportunity to bring more casual fans into the great world of Kansas football, basketball and athletics in general.

The involvement of an entire student body is what makes for victories as thrilling as we’ve seen in past years and hopefully will witness soon again.

— — Alex Doherty for The Kansan Editorial Board

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